Gameday Thread: #2 Baylor (28-6) vs. #10 South Dakota Coyotes (28-5)

BAYLOR (27-6 vs. South Dakota (28-5)
March 20, 2022 • 5 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas • Ferrell Center

WATCH: ESPN2
Talent: Elise Woodward (pxp) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst)
LISTEN: ESPN Central Texas, BaylorBears.com 
Talent: Derek Smith (pxp), Sophia Young-Malcolm (Analyst)

NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUND NOTABLES
• Baylor is 19-1 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Since dropping its first first-round contest in 2001, the Bears have strung together 18-straight dubs in the opening round of NCAA play.
• BU is 16-2 in NCAA Second Round play. 
• Baylor has never faced South Dakota - who picked up its first NCAA Tournament win in program history with Friday's victory over Ole Miss.
• Baylor set a new school record in NCAA play with 43 defensive rebounds against Hawaii. The Bears were two points for tying the eighth-best scoring mark in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
• Jordan Lewis tied for fifth all-time in NCAA tourney play with her 7-for-8 showing from the floor on Friday.
• For the first time in program history, Baylor had two players pull down 14 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo each had 14.
• Jaden Owens tied her career high with three steals vs. Hawaii.
• Baylor tied the fifth-best mark in program history in an NCAA Tournament game with 56 boards.
• BU is hosting the first and second rounds for the 10th time in program history. Baylor hosted from 2013-19 with the streak ending a season ago due to the entire tournament being held in San Antonio because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAA NOTABLES
• Baylor was named a No. 2 seed, marking the 11th-straight year that BU is at least a two seed or higher.
• The Bears are making their 18th-straight NCAA appearance, a streak that ranks 13th all-time and is the fifth-longest active streak.
• Baylor has advanced to 20 NCAA Tournaments all-time.
• Baylor is 54-16 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Baylor earned trips to the Final Four in 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2019. BU won the NCAA titles in 2005, 2012 and 2019.
• Baylor is 10-5 all-time in Sweet 16 contests.
• Baylor is 4-6 all-time in Elite Eight contests.
• Baylor's 54 wins in the NCAA Tournament is eighth-most all-time.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP NOTABLES
• Baylor advanced to its 11th-straight Big 12 Championship title game. Nicki Collen became the first first-year head coach to advance to the title game since 1997.
• NaLyssa Smith, named to the all-tournament team, went off for a career-best 37 points in the semifinal win over Oklahoma. That mark is good for second in Big 12 championship semifinal history.
• Caitlin Bickle also had a career day against Oklahoma with 21 points.
• Baylor's 91 points against the Sooners tied for fourth-most all-time in a Big 12 semifinal contest.
• Baylor set a Big 12 Championship record with two turnovers. That mark also tied a program record that was set on Feb. 1, 2014, against Texas.
• Baylor set a program record, a Big 12 Championship record and tied an NCAA record when it held Oklahoma State scoreless in the first quarter of the Big 12 quarterfinal vs. Oklahoma State.
• Overall, BU held Oklahoma State to 36 points, a Big 12 Championship record and won by 40 points, which stands for second in league tournament win margin.

QUICK HITS
• Baylor clinched a share of the regular-season Big 12 title with a 25-point win at then-No. 8 Iowa State in front of a record crowd at Hilton Coliseum.
• BU's streak of 12 regular-season titles is the longest active streak in the country in men's AND women's hoops.
• The streak ties for fourth all-time in WBB history behind Green Bay (20, 1999-18); Louisiana Tech (15, 2003-17); Stanford (14, 2001-14) and Old Dominion (12, 1993-04).
• Baylor became the first school since Texas Tech in 2000 to start league play 0-2 and end up winning the conference title.
• Baylor racked up conference honors as every member of the starting five received recognition. Smith was the unanimous pick for Player of the Year, receiving the honor in back-to-back seasons. Jordan Lewis became the fourth-straight Bear to pick up Newcomer of the Year. Smith and Lewis were each named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Sarah Andrews received Second Team honors, while Asberry and Queen Egbo were named Honorable Mention.
• Smith has already been named a first-team All-American by three different entities this season - Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and the Associated Press.
• Smith is third in the country with 24 double-doubles. That mark sets a program record for double-doubles in a single season. She's third in BU history with 52 career double-doubles.
• The senior is top-10 nationally with 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
• Smith reached the 2,000 career point / 1,000 career rebound mark this season.
• Baylor has now set a program record for 3s made (221) and 3s attempted (631) in a single season.
• From 2013-14 to 2020-21, Baylor made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game only five times across a total of 281 games (1.78 percent). BU has done so five times this season. 
• At Kansas, Baylor nearly set a record with a 14-for-29 display from the perimeter. BU's 14 treys marked the second most in
• Ja'Mee Asberry is second in program history with 79 3s made this season.